if some of you are habitual watchers of daytime telly, not that i am criticising those that are…. you may have seen BBC 1′s Real Rescues with the man himself talking to paramedics about the nightmare that is dealing with ‘chest pain’!
Heart Attack
chest pains are of course, one of those flashing warning beacons for first aiders – and indeed anyone who hears the phrase whispered to them – whispered is not an uncommon way of hearing those symptoms being described by the sufferer. It is pretty much a universal truth that speaking it out loud is a terrifying step toward making it all too real.
While discussing the problems of diagnosing chest pains, Nick was told that there are a number of ways of trying to determine what is really going on… monitoring and reading a casualty’s electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG) from the complex portable defibrillators carried in Ambulances is something paramedics are trained and skilled at…. there is also the very much more revealing 12 lead version which are also common throughout Ambulance Services. these very clever bits of kit and provide much more detailed information on what is happening with the rhythm of the heart.
However, (is there always a but?) as the paramedic pointed out…. mostly, casualty’s with chest pains will almost always end up visiting their local A&E or cardio unit to have their ticker given a thorough once over to take out the guess work, yes… even green gods and goddesses have doubts and often end up making their best guess.
At the end of this discussion, that nice Mr Knowles, champion of the helpless DIY-er and now just the helpless, asked what can be done if ‘we’, us, you or I, come across someone with one of the scariest and quite possibly most daunting of symptoms…?
First Aid Training
the advice was, as we might expect, succinct and to the point….
1. don’t move them unnecessarily – don’t make them go anywhere if you can avoid it, the extra oxygen needed to support movement will put more pressure on the heart to supply it…. and clearly, if it is the heart causing the problem, this will only make things worse
2. relax them, relaxing reduces the pressure on the heart and for the victim of ‘chest pain’ this really should be high on our list of priorities!
3. Call the Ambulance Service… as fast as you can. Remember if you ask the casualty for permission to call, they are very likely to refuse, most of us still don’t want a fuss made and will go into denial to avoid the embarrassment!
4. Prepare yourself for CPR! This really is vital…. CPR, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, is taught on every first aid course you , or any one else will ever attend. This is simple because, when all else fails, every casualty will become unconscious and will stop breathing normally…. whatever the original cause. CPR, will provide us with the best opportunity to stabilise the casualty until the Ambulance crews arrive.
